Stars split with Kenai

The Soldotna High School girls basketball team got a chance to see just how deep Kenai is Saturday.

The host Kardinals had three players score in double-digits and six others putting up numbers in the scoring column in a 68-47 Kenai victory.

"That's something that's important -- not having to depend on one person for points," said Kenai's Stephanie Arbelovsky. "We have games where everybody scores, and we have lots of points coming off the bench."

In the boys game, Soldotna prevailed 51-34 in a defensive struggle.

The Kardinals girls opened up the second quarter already up 20-10 and proceeded to knock down 13 unanswered points, including a trio of 3-pointers and a 2-point basket from Cory Hershberger, to take a 33-10 lead.

When Hershberger wasn't drilling shots from the perimeter, Arbelovsky, Wendi Polak and Erica Shinn were knocking down shots from the post.

"We got some great post play," said Kenai coach Jim Beeson. "When we can get scoring from the post and Cory shooting the ball like she did, we'll be tough to beat."

In fact, the only thing to slow Hershberger down was a rolled ankle in the third quarter. While Hershberger didn't return to the game, Beeson said that with some rest, some ice and some treatment on Monday, Hershberger should be ready for next weekend.

"She's played so much harder and practiced so much harder," Beeson said. "She's in better shape, so she can play longer. She's just going to get better and better as the year goes on."

Soldotna coach Rob Dimick was pleased to see his team hanging tough, noting that the Stars played the Kardinals much closer in the second half.

"I don't think at any time the kids ever quit," Dimick said. "As long as you work hard, good things are going to happen."

Soldotna's hard work is starting to show on the court as the Stars are able to work lessons learned from practice into each game.

"We got some things done we hadn't done in games before," said Soldotna's Hillary Zobeck. "We were running our defense right, and we worked in a new press we've been practicing."

"That's been really encouraging, to be getting contributions from a lot of different people," Beeson said. "Jamie Montgomery didn't score a point, but she created havoc at the defensive end of the floor. I tell her to worry about the things that impress coaches, and that's one of those things."

Hershberger scored 18 points for the Kardinals while Shinn netted 14 and Arbelovsky finished the game with 10.